Provincial health order puts five BCHL teams on ice
With the recent announcement from the province regarding sports in some regions, the league is working with the PHO, BC Hockey and viaSPORT to determine how this affects us going forward.
As of now, tonight’s games will be played as scheduled.
— BC Hockey League (@GoBCHL) November 7, 2020
The four BC Hockey League teams located in the Lower Mainland and one on the Sunshine Coast are unable to play games until the week of November 23. The cancellation of the games comes after the Provincial Health Officer ordered a suspension of all indoor sports where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
The order affects the Chilliwack Chiefs, Coquitlam Express, Langley Rivermen, Surrey Eagles, and Powell River Kings. All four Mainland teams were in a cohort during the extended training camp and only playing exhibition games among themselves.
The BCHL has removed all games between the four teams from the schedule on the league’s website, with the earliest match-up coming on November 26 with Surrey at Langley.
If COVID-19 cases in the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions continue to climb at the rate they were before putting the order into place, the restrictions could be extended.
The order doesn’t affect Northern Health, Interior Health, or the Vancouver Island Health Authority.
As a result, games involving the cohort of Cranbrook, Merritt, Trail and Prince George, the cohort of Penticton, Salmon Arm, Vernon and West Kelowna, and the cohort of Alberni Valley, Nanaimo and Victoria can go forward as scheduled.
The Wenatchee Wild is still unable to participate in the league due to the Canada-US border being closed due to the pandemic.
Caps and Kings game canceled
NEWS: Sunday afternoon's game between the Capitals and Kings has been cancelled. Powell River is within the Vancouver Coastal Health Region, where new restrictions were recently put in place. https://t.co/1lIV11ZtHO
— Cowichan Capitals (@cowichancaps) November 8, 2020
Powell River is presently in a cohort of two with the Cowichan Valley Capitals. The Kings’ Sunday game in Duncan is canceled because the order states that travel into and out of the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions should be essential only.
The Capitals vs. Kings game at the Cowichan Community Centre on November 22 is still on the BCHL schedule despite falling within the range of dates of the PHO’s order.
Cowichan Valley could join the cohort including the other three Vancouver Island teams but it doesn’t really make sense to do so because the Capitals would have to quarantine for two weeks beforehand, which is currently when the order is scheduled to end.
Cowichan forward Ferguson commits to Union
NEWS: Capitals defenceman Cullen Ferguson has committed to NCAA Division 1 Union College (@Unionmhockey ) Congrats Fergy! #BlueCollar https://t.co/3ewqCAMaCM pic.twitter.com/W2ajuv98gw
— Cowichan Capitals (@cowichancaps) November 8, 2020
The Cowichan Valley Capitals announced late Saturday night that 2001-born defenseman Cullen Ferguson has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Union College.
The Binbrook, Ontario product had a goal, and a dozen assists in 56 games with the Capitals as a rookie in 2019-20.
“Words can’t explain how happy I am to be a part of the Union family,” said Ferguson in a news release. “My family, friends, coaches, and teammates over the years are the reason I’ve gotten to this point in my hockey career and I couldn’t be more grateful for them
